Fallen Stars
by Takashidaimao
Summary: Two nameless orphans from distant stars grew into two of history's greatest warriors, in both life and death. How are their destinies entwined? Crap summary as always. YAOI warning later. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
1. Renegade Waltz  Part 1

That cell. That dreary, concrete-slab cell. For as long as he existed, he'd been locked in that little room. It was the first place he could remember being; not held close in a loving mother's arms, but locked in a cage. Hell, for the longest time, he had no concept of what the word 'Mother' meant. There were no caring parents where he was born. There were only the apathetic scientists. The endless tests. The needles. And, of course, that plain white concrete wall he'd stare at all day… Until they came to get him for more tests.

Who was he, exactly? If you'd have asked him back then, he wouldn't be able to give you an answer. He had no name to give. He was only a number. Unconsciously, his hand moved to the back of his shaved head, caressing the tattoo he'd long ago been branded with. 006941. That was his number. That was his name. He was just a figure to be punched into an equation. That's how it had always been.

He wasn't the only one, of course. On either side of his cell, he knew there were two kids just like him, staring blankly at the walls as if waiting for them to change somehow. And he knew that on either side of them were yet more children, all without names. All without souls. There must have been hundreds of them. Of course, he'd never bothered to count before. Any shred of amusement only left him more miserable once he returned to his cell. He knew that. All the kids knew that. That's why none of them ever attempted to play when they were let out for those scant seconds every few days. None of them even bothered to talk to each other. Conversation was amusement, and amusement meant misery. It was one of the unspoken rules every child in there came to understand. The hard way, of course.

Suddenly, there was movement behind him. The sound of footsteps echoing through the wards was commonplace, but these came to a stop just outside his cell. Cautiously, curiously, he looked back over his shoulder to see who was there. Standing just beyond the energy field that kept him caged were two figures. The first was a common sight. The familiar pale-gray alien stood slightly hunched over a digital tablet held in his slender hands, his huge black eyes darting back and forth as he took in the data. Standing next to him was a man he was sure he'd never seen before. He was tall, at least compared to the thin, lab coat-clad being that was leading him around. He had dark brown hair that naturally set into spikes, and had a short beard that was combed down neatly. His clothes were unlike anything the boy had seen before; regal, yet combat-ready. He wore thin armor on his torso, gilded here and there without looking too gaudy. A red cape draped down his back, skirting about his ankles. He wore black pants that accentuated every muscle in his legs. Wrapped tightly at his waist, instead of a belt, there was a brown fur tail. The boy's own tail twitched when he saw that. This man… Was like him?

Suddenly, his eyes wandered back to the little gray alien, whose own eyes had stopped their darting back and forth and were now focused on one line on his data pad. "Hmmm… Green eyes… A recessive trait in Saiyans…" the scientist mused aloud to himself, his voice sounding as though he'd inhaled just a small amount of helium. This caused the man next to him to raise a thin black eyebrow. "A_ problem_, Dr. Saleon?"

The alien gave the slightest shake of his bulbous head as his thin fingers glided across the screen of the data pad, advancing text and bringing up certain details he was looking for. "I don't understand. The subject is already five years old. If a recessive gene had manifested itself obviously enough for it to be recorded, then why hasn't the subject been terminated yet?" the alien spoke quickly and precisely, a habit for his species. The Saiyan man next to him folded his arms across his chest, a gruff growl rolling in his throat. "Your people obviously made a careless mistake. The goal of this project was to breed for only dominant genes. What's the point of even hiring you Salarians if you just let a defect like this slide? Who knows what other recessive traits this thing could be carrying? How can the Saiyan race grow to perfection when _this_ is the best you can give me?" he roared, his deep voice booming through the halls of the ward. The boy could see Dr. Saleon's eye twitch slightly.

"Even our most advanced sciences are not perfect, General. Every now and then, you're bound to get a botched result. All one can do is get rid of it and try again. In the mean time, I'll make sure to reprimand the one in charge of this cell blo—" the Salarian cut off suddenly, heaving a heavy sigh when he found the name in question. "Morlan. Of _course_…" he grumbled wearily to himself, massaging his temple in an attempt rid himself of the horrible headache that was Dr. Morlan. It didn't help. "I'll have this one terminated as soon as possible. He won't be a problem."

The Saiyan General nodded in approval of the action. "Terminate the rest of the batch along with it. I don't want to take any chances." he announced nonchalantly, causing Dr. Saleon to whip his head around to stare wide-eyed up at the Saiyan. "W-with all due respect, General, I think that's a bit excessive! If we simply review the results properly—"

"Don't bother. It'll just be a waste of time. Get rid of them and start working on another batch. I want _real_ warriors this time." The General replied, preempting whatever nonsense he was sure the gray alien was abut to spew up. He then turned on his heel and continued down the hall. Dr. Saleon lingered for a moment, hanging his shoulders in defeat, but letting out a scoff. "Tch… Fucking cloacae…" "What was that, Saleon?" "N-nothing, General!" After that last little exchange, Dr. Saleon scurried off after the General, leaving the boy to his usual silence.

Barely a half an hour had passed before the other scientists came to round the children up. The boy could hear the low hum of almost a hundred energy barriers as they were deactivated, his own included. Instinctively, he rose to his feet and marched out the gaping door, standing idle just beyond the threshold. Automatically, he turned to his left, coming to stare at the back of another young boy's head. 006940. He knew that number. Since the first day he could walk, it was this boy he'd always walked behind. He couldn't tell you what the boy's face looked like. No one ever bothered to look behind them. There was no need to. If they knew each other's faces, they may feel sadness when that child was suddenly 'terminated'.

Ah, there was another word the Saiyan boy had no idea of the meaning behind. He'd heard the scientists say it hundreds of times before, yet it never really clicked. All he knew was that all the kids they 'terminated' never came back. Their numbers were never seen or heard again.

The boy swallowed the lump growing in his throat. They were going to do that to him. He'd never be seen again. This was bad. He didn't know why, or how, but he just knew it was something he didn't want to happen to him. For the first time in his life, he could think of only one thing; he _had_ to get out.

Suddenly, the boy in front of him began walking forward, a signal that he, too, should begin moving. The procession moved silently and without need for direction, weaving neatly through pristine white halls. After a while, the line began to turn around unfamiliar corners, to parts of the massive facility none of them had ever been. It all looked the same, of course. Blank walls. Blinding white. There was one difference, though; the smell. The further they went, the stronger the stench of bleach and other sterilizing chemicals got. It wasn't an unfamiliar scent, but it was never this strong before. Once the odor became almost too much for him to bear, the line stopped.

It was fifteen minutes later before the line moved again. They took a single step forward, and stopped. He could feel his heart begin to race. This was it. This was where they'd be terminated. One by one. Agonizingly slow. The boy glanced to either side. There had to be a way out. There just _had_ to. Once again, the line moved forward another space. This time, he chanced a look behind him. His emerald green eyes met with the black ones of the girl that stood behind him. At first, there was no reaction. After a few seconds, she furrowed her dark eyebrows, a perplexed look on her face. He quickly averted his eyes, returning them to the back of 006940's head. The line moved forward again. And again. And again. His breathing became heavy, his heart feeling as if it would beat right out of his chest. The line moved again. This time, however, he remained still.

It wasn't until the line moved once more that the girl behind him noticed the gap that was forming. She leaned to the side, looking around him. He stood frozen, eyes fixed straight ahead. The line moved again. Her brow furrowed, her tail flicking back and forth behind her in annoyance. The line moved again. Finally sick of his lack of movement, she poked 006941 in the small of his back. "Move…" was all she said, in a voice that was little more than a whisper. She hadn't spoken in as long as he had.

Finally, he did as she asked, but not in a way she was expecting. The boy bolted from the line, sprinting away down the hall, away from where the line of children was headed. He heard the surprised shouts of dozens of raspy, unused voices as he ran past. He ignored them as best he could. He had a feeling this was his only chance. He couldn't afford any distractions. Soon, the rest of the children were far behind him, the angry shouts of frantic Salarian scientists mere echoes down the halls. He bolted past several more, who immediately demanded he stop. A few attempted to chase him down, but they were all too slow. He left them winded, gasping for air as he took off like a rocket through the facility. Suddenly, he came to his first real obstacle; a door. Not wanting to stop for even a second, he ducked his head and braced his arms in front. He snapped his eyes shut just before impact.

Two heavy steal doors buckled and flew off their hinges, crashing to the floor with a deafening bang and screeching a few feet along the concrete. The small boy darted over the ruined steel, now running past sad little cages that held children just like him. Hundreds of them. Each child looked up when he ran past, some even pressing their little faces against their cell's energy barrier, trying to see what was going on. About halfway down the cell block, he could have sworn he heard a small, raspy voice calling to him as he passed. Then, another. Soon, as he neared the door at the other end of the cell block, the collective shouts of all the children reached a deafening pitch. They were all cheering him on, despite knowing that, no matter the outcome of this boy's escape attempt, they'd likely never see him again. Everything would return to normal. They'd be miserable again.

But all that didn't matter right now. This child was doing what no other could even conceive of doing; he was running away. Defying the scientists. Doing what _he _thought was right. Unwittingly, that bold little boy had filled his brothers and sisters with a hope they'd never felt in their lives.

He burst through the next set of doors almost easier than the first, proceeding down another cell block. This one was different than the first, however. This room towered upward countless stories, row after row after row of cells lining the walls ascending upwards. There were _thousands_ of them. Each of these cells, unlike the ones in his own block, housed two adults each; one male, and one female. The significance of this was beyond a five-year-old's comprehension, of course. He'd never seen anyone but other children in those cells, however. He took his eyes off his path for a moment, examining the coupled Saiyans as he passed. It was his first mistake.

Almost immediately, the boy felt himself collide with what felt like a massive brick wall, causing him to tumble backwards and slam his head against the concrete floor. He scrambled up to his feet, stumbling back a few steps before he got a chance to look up at what he'd run into. He met with the dark obsidian eyes of the Saiyan General, who's stern countenance sent shivers down the young child's spine. Still, the boy held fast, his fists balling up in defiance at his side. The General raised an eyebrow. This boy was afraid. No, he was positively terrified. Yet here he was, refusing to back down against the single strongest warrior in the Saiyan military. The corner of the man's mouth twisted upwards into a smirk.

"Such a _brave_ little guinea pig. Please, boy. Show me how deep that bravery runs." The General offered with a chuckle, beckoning him to take his best shot with a small hand motion. The boy took a staggering step back ward. The General's eyes narrowed, a small sigh escaping his lips. So he was just another coward after all. He lowered his hand. The second he did, however, the boy bared his fangs, dashing forward and leaping up, a fist pulled pack and ready to strike. The General had just enough time to catch the boy's fist mere inches before it would strike his face. He skidded backwards on his heels a few inches from the residual force of the blow.

Seconds later, Dr. Saleon came jogging down the hall, wheezing from his chase of the boy. Once he caught up with the General, he doubled over, one hand on his knee, and the other resting on his concave sternum, attempting to catch his breath. Once he got the chance to look up, he spotted the General holding the wrist of the young escapee, who was dangling limp in the man's grip. He wasn't unconscious, just disappointed. He'd been so close…

"Th-thank you, General… I don't know how this happened… I'll take it back… have it put down immediately…" Dr. Saleon gasped out between labored breaths, now attempting to stand straight and make himself presentable. Much to the Salarian's surprise, the General merely let out a chuckle. "Y'know, I think you may have been mistaken about this one. I don't see a damn thing wrong with him." He said, searching the boy's emerald eyes. The kid looked as though he was about to cry, though he desperately fought back the tears, as if too proud to be seen sulking over a defeat. The General was suitably impressed. Saleon, however, was understandably perplexed.

"E-excuse me, General? B-but you were the one that said defects were unacceptable! Green eyes are a sign of recessi—" The Salarian's protest was cut off by a halting hand. "I'm really getting tired of all your 'science' mumbo-jumbo, Saleon. This kid's pretty Goddamned strong for his age, and his fighting instincts persist even though he was raised in a shit-hole like this. That's a true warrior's spirit right there, if ya ask me. I think I can forgive something as stupid as green eyes for that." Finally, the little boy looked up at the soldier. Did he really call him 'he'? Ever since he could remember, he'd always been referred to as an 'it'. An object. That was the first time anyone ever spoke of him as a person.

Dr. Saleon let out a frustrated growl, shaking his head. "Fine… So what exactly do you want us to do with it now?" he grumbled, folding his arms under his chest with a huff. The General glared at the doctor, lowering the boy so that his feet touched the ground, but not releasing his grip on his wrist. "_You_ aren't gonna do a damn thing. _I'm_ taking the kid. He'll be more useful in a unit of his own rather than wasting away in a breeding cell with some whore." At that, the boy chanced a glance back at Dr. Saleon, who was absolutely seething. "Great! _Fantastic_! And what do expect us to do about all the others that saw him trying to escape? Or all of these, who _just_ watched you essentially set that thing free? I'll have a full-scale riot in here by the end of the week! Even preempting that scenario will set this project back _years_!" the Salarian ranted, his face flushing a dull shade of green in pure anger. The General merely responded with a half-hearted shrug of his shoulders. "_Your_ problem. Not mine." He replied before turning around and leading the boy down the hall. After they passed through the threshold of the next doorway, the child could hear the high-pitched irate shriek of the head scientist, along with the sound of something being thrown and shattered against the doors as they closed behind the two Saiyans.


	2. Renegade Waltz  Part 2

"So then I says ta th' guy, 'That ain't no Tuffle, that's my sister!'"

The night air was filled with the loud, obnoxious laughter of half a dozen men. The group was sitting around a large bonfire, all pigging out on various roasted meats and laughing at dumb jokes like they were the funniest thing ever said. There were seven in the group altogether. The largest and loudest of the group was Kor, who's tall black Mohawk bounced and swayed as he spoke. The one sitting to his left was a much shorter, thinner, yet still quite muscular man who wore long chain earrings in his left ear. His name was Kyukum, and he apparently had a hard time deciding weather he wanted to laugh or eat, as he was currently choking on a large mouthful of meat. Next to him was Biin, the veteran of the group, who insisted on trying to keep up with the younger generation of soldiers, though his balding gray hair definitely gave him away as the old coot he was.

On Kor's right sat Kabba, another large but dark skinned male, whose deep voice reverberated through the trees with his jolly laughter. Next to him was Parcie, who's wild black hair stuck straight back past his shoulders. The goofball currently dancing around the fire and doing his best exaggerated impression of a horrified Tuffle was Zukiin. The long tails of his bright red headband trailed behind him as he ran around, flailing his arms over his head. Lastly, and most unnoticeably, was the young boy sitting across the fire from Kor, who was silently eating out of a small bowl at a modest pace, his long black locks shielding his face from the group of rowdy men.

Soon, the noise began to die down a little, most of the men returning their full attention to voraciously devouring what had to be an entire deer each. Suddenly, the boy felt a heavy hand slap down on his shoulder. Two emerald eyes peered up through a veil of black to see that Zukiin had taken a seat next to him and was smiling at him expectantly. "Hey, Artichou! What did ya think? Pretty spot-on impression, huh?" he asked with a goofy grin, letting out a giddy laugh. The boy merely stared up at the man for a few seconds. "U-ummm… Well… I didn't really see it…" he mumbled out, barely audible. Zukiin put on a fake, and exceptionally exaggerated, hurt face. "Awww, _really_? 'Cause if ya didn't see, I'm just gonna hafta do it again!" At that, Kor let out a loud laugh.

"He prolly didn't see 'cause he's got all that hair in his face!" the large Saiyan teased, earning another round of sniggering from the men around him. Artichou looked down at his bowl, remaining silent. This was pretty much a daily thing, them picking on him. It didn't really bother him that much, he just rarely had anything to say in return. When he looked up next, he nearly fell backwards off of the log he was sitting on. Zukiin was now squatting down right in front of him, a curious look on his face. Suddenly, the man's hands shot out towards the boy's face, causing him to instinctively snap his eyes shut. He felt some tugging at his hair for a moment, then nothing. After a second or two, he opened one eye to see Zukiin flashing him that trademark goofy grin, his headband now missing one of it's tails. The boy's hair was now pushed back out of his eyes, fastened back by the missing piece of Zukiin's headband, which was now wrapped around the boy's forehead.

Kyukum shook his head, letting out a scoff. "Jeez, Zukiin, what next? Ya gonna start kissing his boo-boos and tucking him in at night?" he teased, which set of yet more laughter from the other men. Zukiin shifted to look back at them, wrinkling his nose slightly. "Tch. I ain't babying him or nothin'. His hair woulda got in the way in a fight. Besides…" Zukiin paused, his smile retuning to his face. Suddenly, the man hooked Artichou's neck in the crook of his arm, pressing the boy's cheek up against the chest plate of his armor. He then stood up and held up his free hand, making the 'victory' symbol with his index and middle fingers. "Now he looks _suppafly_! Just like me!"

There was a long, awkward moment of silence in which everyone just stared. Artichou glanced at each of the Saiyan warriors, then looked up at Zukiin. Then he held up his hand, mimicking Zukiin's 'V'. "S-suppafly!" he repeated. More silence. Suddenly, everyone burst into hysterical laughter. The young boy looked up at Zukiin, who had to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Heh heh heh… See? Artie agrees!" he announced before placing a noogie in the crown of the boy's head. As Artichou struggled to get free, Kor stood up from his spot around the fire.

"Alright, that's enough horsin' around. We gotta get movin'. Them damn Tuffles ain't gonna kill themselves, boys!" the leader announced, prompting the rest of his unit to follow his lead. Zukiin loosened his grip on Artichou's head, letting him plop unceremoniously to the ground. The Saiyan warriors took off in a sprint through the woods as the boy dusted himself off, causing him to trail behind.

The Tuffle capital was still several miles off, but it would only take the precision strike team minutes to get there. The monkey-tailed soldiers weaved effortlessly through the trees, despite the pitch black night air. They always struck at night. Saiyan night vision was far superior to the Tuffles', who depended on the sun to see where they were going and who they were aiming their guns at. Saiyans were, after all, nocturnal creatures. It made sense, given their secret weapon.

"_Goddammit!_" Kyukum cursed out suddenly, glaring at the sky above. "Why the hell does it gotta be cloudy as all fuck _tonight_ of all nights?" Artichou looked up at the thick black clouds that blanketed the sky, but didn't understand the significance. Who cared if it was cloudy? If you asked him, it was better that way. The moon was getting too bright. It would have given the Tuffles more light to see by.

"Don't worry. The wind is strong tonight. Those clouds will pass in time." Biin reassured gruffly. However, this earned a rather ferocious snarl from Parcie. "You'd better be right, old man! I'll be damned if we have to wait an entire year for another chance like this on account of fucking _clouds_!" the thin Saiyan hissed out. This earned a small chuckle from Kabba. "Don't have a cow, Parcie. If Mista' Weather Man over there says it's gonna clear, then it's gonna clear. Th' old badger knows his stuff. We'll have our moon. No doubt about it."

Artichou furrowed his brow. Wait, they wanted the moon? But why? Wouldn't that lessen their advantage? Zukiin glanced back in time to see the boy's troubled expression and immediately slowed his pace to run along side him. "Yer not nervous, are ya Artie? First big mission on th' full moon?" he asked, giving the kid a small smile. Artichou tilted his head slightly in confusion, but before he could ask why the full moon was such a big deal… "Yo, Zuki! If yer done changin' th' brat's _diaper_, maybe you start payin' attention to th' mission? Th' capital's just up ahead." Kyukum informed tauntingly. Zukiin gave little more than a small pout before they all slowed to a stop at the edge of the woods.

The city below was unlike anything Artichou had ever seen. The entire capital sat in a man-made basin carved right into the hard rock below, forming huge walls around the perimeter. The buildings were tall and sleek, the metal sheen almost glittering from the street lights below. It was a huge contrast to the almost tribal lands of the Saiyans. However, as beautiful as it was, Artichou couldn't help but be reminded of the breeding facility. Of the Salarians. Of the tests. The needles. The boy shivered unconsciously at the memory, attempting to erase it from his mind. That was two years ago. None of that mattered anymore.

The team waited there for several minutes, but Artichou had no idea why. He glanced over at Kyukum after a while to see him glaring up at the sky, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. "Dammit, wind… Hurry…" he grumbled to himself. Everyone else was watching the city intently, waiting. The boy wasn't sure what they were waiting for. No one ever really bothered to brief him on the mission. They just figured he'd trail behind and wouldn't get in the way.

Suddenly, the adults got what they seemed to be waiting for. Section by section, the city's lights shut down, plunging the Tuffle capital into absolute darkness. A frustrated growl rumbled in Kyukum's throat. "Fuck! They've cut the power already!" he shouted, prompting another snarl from Parcie, who shot a nasty look at Biin. "And the clouds haven't thinned in the slightest! You lied, old man!"

"That's enough!" Kor roared, putting an abrupt end to all the bickering behind him. "This changes nothing. We proceed as planed, with or without the moon. Strike hard before they regain their senses." The leader announced, earning a nod from his unit. Once he was sure everyone was clear on his decision, he continued with his orders. "Move out!"

With that, the seven Saiyans took off down the cliff, their sights set on the massive city below. Parcie was the first one down, as he was the fastest of the group. Trailing behind him was Zukiin, followed by Kor, Kabba, Kyukum, and Biin. Artichou was last, his short legs causing him to fall behind. Soon, all the adults were out of sight, not bothering to wait for the child. By the time he'd reached the perimeter of the city and jumped down inside the walls, it was already a complete war-zone. Bodies of pale, frail-looking beings lay everywhere in pools of their own blood, their faces twisted into agonized shapes. The scene made the boy cringe slightly, but didn't bother him as much as it really should have. This was the enemy, after all. Why should he care for them?

Suddenly, there was a large explosion several blocks down the street, bathing the steel skyscrapers in an orange glow. Artichou rushed down the now dimly fire-lit streets, more curious than anything to see what was going on. As he neared the site of the blast, a pair of Tuffle soldiers rushed to meet him, both aiming their weapons in his direction and shouting in some strange language. Without pause, Artichou leapt into the air just in time to dodge a barrage of plasma bullets. The boy landed square on the first soldier's face, wrapping his legs around the man's neck and his arms around his forehead, effectively smothering the man. As the soldier fought for air, his finger tightened on the trigger of his rifle, discharging bullets as he flailed around in a panic. Inevitably, this sent a stream of ammo flying across the torso of the other soldier, who promptly collapsed to the ground. Once the young Saiyan heard the tell-tale thud of dead weight hitting pavement, he jerked his upper body sideways, earning a satisfying crack from the neck of the first soldier. As this one went limp and fell, Artichou released his grip and vaulted off the dead man's shoulders, continuing on down the street as if nothing had happened.

As the boy leapt through the wall of flames, he encountered the rest of the unit the first two Tuffle soldiers apparently belonged to. They fared no better, despite having three times the number. The boy dispatched them without breaking a sweat. He continued deeper into the city, the only concern on his mind being where the rest of his own unit had gone.

There were more explosions. More soldiers. All of them either fell dead or ran away. In fact, Artichou wasn't even sure all of the pale creatures he was chasing were military anymore. Not that it mattered. The more Tuffles he killed, the happier his comrades were with him. That was good enough for him.

After a while, the streets became more barren. The soldiers came less frequently, and in smaller groups. Artichou slowed his pace, a frown crossing his lips. Was it over already? Well, that seemed a bit anti-climactic, especially when the adults had made it sound like a huge mission. Suddenly, the boy heard a loud grunt of pain to his left. He jogged to a stop, searching for where the noise came from.

"Aarggh! Shit shit shit shit _shit_!" snarled a familiar voice. Eventually, Artichou's eyes came to rest on the figure lying in front of the smoldering rubble that was once a building, a small gasp escaping his mouth. It was Parcie, or what was left of him. The slender warrior was lying on his side, his right arm propping his torso up off the ground, and his left clamped tightly against his left thigh, below which only mangled shreds of flesh remained of his leg. Half of his tail was also missing. As the snarling warrior looked up at Artichou, the young boy got a good look at the damage done to his comrade's face. There was barely anything left to the left side, the skin practically melted away and the muscle underneath horribly blackened, his eye gone. The Saiyan soldier growled, looking away from the boy in disgust.

"Tche… J-just my fucking luck… I need some real backup for once, and all I get is a brat…" Parcie hissed through gritted teeth, which, judging from the condition of his face, was all he could really do at the moment without making his wounds worse. The man did his best to prop himself up a little higher, earning another painful growl. He'd be damned if this kid stood over him. "Look, brat…" he gasped out, still refusing to look the kid in the eye. "Go find Kor and the others… Tell 'em to get th' fuck out the first chance they get… Damn pale bastards got more firepower than we expected… Weather really screwed us tonight… Gotta pull out…"

Artichou knelt down in front of Parcie. He had no idea at all what, if anything, he could do, but he felt he had to try _something_. The gesture merely prompted another angry snarl from the injured Saiyan. "Dammit, I gave you a fucking order! Now g—" Parcie cut off suddenly as he looked up at the boy, his eyes widening in horror. Artichou furrowed his brow in confusion. Of course, he wouldn't have been able to see the small red laser that was now fixed on his own temple. "Run, kid! Get th' fuck out of here! _Now_!" he roared, the ruined flesh on his face tearing painfully. The boy staggered to his feet, but was hesitant to leave. Parcie bared his fangs at the kid, his hand leaving his leg and quickly forming a sphere of glowing energy. He then thrust the ball of light straight into the boy's gut. "I SAID MOVE, DUMB FU—"

Artichou's body flew backwards from the force of the Saiyan's attack, sending him crashing into an already crumbling building across the street. Parcie's irate yelling was cut off abruptly, the deafening roar of a massive explosion drowning him out. Flames licked through the large hole in the wall, threatening to engulf the young boy as he tried desperately to reclaim the wind that was knocked out of him.

When the flames finally receded enough for him to emerge from the building, a truly horrifying scene waited to greet him. Right where he'd been standing, right where Parcie had been lying, there was now nothing more than a smoldering crater. No blood, no broken limbs, just nothingness. Artichou felt his breath catch in his throat. Parcie was gone. Dead. He'd felt nothing for all the Tuffles they'd killed, but now that it was one of his own? The young Saiyan did his best to ignore the tears streaming down his cheeks. There was nothing he could do to stem their flow, but he could pretend they weren't there. He could pretend everything wasn't there. Parcie had given him an order, after all. He'd best fulfill it, lest he yell at him.

As the boy sprinted through the crumbling capital, his eyes searched desperately amongst the rubble for any sign of his other comrades. His eyes briefly passed over the limp body of an old man, his eyes staring blankly up at the sky above. Biin was gone, too. There was no need for him to stop, then. He continued on, def to the sobs that now escaped his own mouth. As he continued down the street, he didn't seem to notice that the path was becoming brighter, or that he could now glimpse stars through small holes in the cloud cover. That didn't matter. All that mattered now was finding the rest of his unit. Nothing else.

"H-hey… Artie…" Artichou stumbled as he tried to stop, tumbling several feet over the rubble in the street. No… Not again… Not _him_… Hesitantly, the young boy looked back over his shoulder, afraid of what he might see. It was just as bad as he feared. Zukiin sat propped against the crumbling remains of a wall, barely holding onto consciousness. His headband was now wrapped tightly around his right shoulder, a makeshift tourniquet to keep all his blood from escaping where his arm once was. Artichou couldn't stop a loud sob from choking free of his throat. Zukiin was the only one that was ever really _nice _to him. Would he now be forced to watch him die as well?

"Hey, man… Big boys don't cry…" Zukiin teased, letting out a winded chuckle. His smile faded as quickly as he'd always put it on, however. He heaved a mournful sigh. "Everyone else… They're gone, aren't they? Just you and me left… Heh… For now, anyway…" he added, forcing a wily smirk. "Look… you'd better get th' hell outta here… Snipers all over the place… If you keep moving—"

Artichou shook his head violently, cutting Zukiin off. "I'm not gonna leave! Not without you, Zuki!" he shouted in protest, finally acknowledging his tears by wiping them from his eyes. Zukiin sighed again, looking down at the deep red puddle he was currently sitting in. "There's no way I'll make it… Just slow ya down… Shit like this happens, kid… Ya just gotta learn when ta cut your losses an'—"

_ "NOOO!" _Artichou screamed, cutting the Saiyan warrior off again. Zukiin stared at the boy in wide-eyed amazement, but not because of his outburst. Tears now flowed freely in a pair of bright blue eyes, a red headband floating up into the air with the sudden updraft of energy. Those blue eyes averted upwards, not wanting to loose the tattered piece of cloth. However, something else was caught in his gaze. Pale silver light reflected off the boy's face, his sobs suddenly ceasing. Floating in the sky above Zukiin's head was the moon, perfectly round and brighter than he'd ever seen before. His heart skipped a beat. It almost felt as if that light was seeping into his eyes, into his body. His tail twitched. What was going on? His body felt strange. His vision began to blur. Then, everything went dark.


End file.
